Idaho Mountain Express: Bellevue burns its taxpayers again

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Bellevue burns its taxpayers again

Bellevue citizens voted "no" to the Bellevue fire bond on Nov. 8. On Dec. 15, at the City Council meeting, the mayor and the City Council approved the purchase of a new fire truck for roughly $253,000.

A down payment of $30,000 will be squeezed out of the current budget and the balance financed with US Bank with an interest rate of 2.5 percent or 3 percent over 10 years. This is approximately $20,000 of taxpayer money paid per year. Budget? Does anyone know the meaning of the word "budget?"

The opinion of the citizens who voted "no" on the bond apparently did not matter. Why did the City Council bother with the bond when it could just approve the purchase of a new fire truck?

I am continually amazed that Bellevue is so prosperous that not only are employees back to working full-time but now we can buy new fire trucks. And yes, a second new fire truck is on the Fire Department's "wish list."

In November, even though the majority of public opinion was against it, the council traded land assessed at $262,676, plus $50,000 cash, for a new Fire Department building assessed at $187,318. I believe it would have been more economical to contract with Wood River Fire & Rescue, which offered complete fire protection and medical response for an annual fee of $90,000.

With this kind of track record, I'm wondering how the city will be throwing away my tax dollars next year.

Dorothy Schinella

Bellevue

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